


Tipping Point

by nightfalltwen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 11:09:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10763037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightfalltwen/pseuds/nightfalltwen
Summary: Michael has left Padma in the lurch just before a big party at the Leaky Cauldron.  Harry offers to stand in as replacement.





	Tipping Point

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the **2013** Samhain_Smut fest at Livejournal. Used prompt: #16 -- _Character A is recently out of a relationship and desperate to avoid a big Halloween party. The only solution seems to be to find a new date and fast. Enter Character B._ Thank you to **cryptaknight** , who looked it over back when it first posted.

* * *

"Oh come on, Padma, it can't be all that bad," Parvati said and leaned across the desk to snag one of the pieces of gulab jamun from a bowl in front of her sister.

"Not all that bad?" Padma scowled, resisting the urge, quite admirably she might add, to smack the back of Parvati's knuckles with her own spoon. "He's taking Mandy to the party at the Cauldron. I'm sitting here with a couple's costume that I spent money on and can't be returned. And he had the _gall_ to ask me if I still needed our costumes and if he could borrow them."

"Shall I go hex his dick off then?" Parvati said, swallowing the sweet dessert.

Padma got up from the desk and started gathering up the lunch supplies, snapping lids onto containers with a little more irritation than she would have liked to display. Sharing a meal with her sister could be more than a little frustrating and if she didn't do something to occupy her hands, she was afraid that she might strangle her twin. Sororicide was not necessarily the route she wished to take in her life.

She didn't know where things had gone so wrong. It had been her understanding that she and Michael were working out. Sure, she was taking extra shifts at the Ministry and he was being sent off to regulate creatures and whatnot, but they still saw each other on a regular basis. Or they had. It wasn't unusual for there to be a few (or many) days between dates. But he'd never seen unhappy.

_It's just not working for me, Padma. I'm sorry. I just don't think I'm the right person for you._

Dropping the containers into the sack in which they'd been stored, she gave a helpless look to her sister. "I was actually looking forward to this party. I don't go to them that often. And now everyone will know that Michael and I aren't together."

"You don't have to go, Padma," Parvati pointed out, leaning back in her chair. Much to Padma's horror her sister lifted her feet up and rested them against the edge of her desk as if it didn't matter at all that they weren't at home. Not that Parvati would have gotten away with it at home, their mother would have scolded the both of them. Parvati for putting her feet on the furniture and Padma for allowing it to happen. "And everyone will still know that you and Michael aren't together when he shows up with Mandy on his arm. Are you sure you don't want me to hex his dick off? Because I could." Parvati twirled her wand to emphasise her point.

"Is this a bad time then?" A voice came from the door.

Padma spun around, her cheeks going white hot. Harry Potter stood at the door, hand poised to knock on the door frame but just barely skimming the wood. Padma stood there, speechless, her mouth gaping. Behind her she heard the soft thumps of Parvati's feet hitting the floor and the slight creak of the chair as she rose. Her sister swept past and greeted Harry with a cordial kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry Harry," she said. "Your bits are safe from me. Do tell my sister that just because Michael is an arse doesn't mean she has to miss out on fun, fancy dress parties to save her pride."

Glancing over her shoulder at Padma, she smiled gave a little wave before leaving.

"Anti-men today?" Harry asked.

Padma snapped out of her stupor, the back of her neck warming and she frowned in her embarrassment. "It's nothing, Auror Potter," she said formally, holding out her hands for the files he was holding. "Having problems with the duplicating charms again?"

Harry shook his head with a wry sort of smile. "I can do the charms I'm just pants at remembering how many copies get sent and where. They didn't tell me about this part. Auror work was supposed to be all glamorous and loads of adventure." He passed the files to her. "And I think I recall a number of times I've asked that you call me Harry."

Padma shrugged her shoulders and set to work on copying and distributing his forms. Twice she had to stop and get him to sign something he'd missed. As it turned out Harry Potter was an excellent Auror. His capture rate was the top of the department more months than not, but he was not good at his paperwork. After she'd reamed him out the first time, not to mention the second and third times, he just tended to bring his files directly to her to finish up. He always did her the courtesy of making up some kind of excuse or commenting on his lack of ability.

She always helped him.

Of all the Gryffindors, Harry was the one that annoyed her the least and that included Gryffindors to which she happened to be directly related. He'd sort of melded into the working world without a lot of fanfare. He gave the journalists their interviews, but soon the stories died down. His breakup with Ginny Weasley was barely even noticed by the papers. He was no longer listed as Witch Weekly's top eligible bachelors. Padma actually found his normalcy a bit refreshing.

It was good to be normal.

"So you're not going to the Leaky Cauldron party then?" he asked once she'd sent off the final parchment.

Padma sighed. "I just don't want to have everyone whisper about Michael... and the only costume I have is one that requires a partner."

"You're not the front end of a horse are you? Or worse... the back end."

Padma turned to him with an angry look on her face, but was met by Harry's lopsided smile and a cheeky glint. She picked up an empty folder and swatted at him a few times until he put up his hands in surrender. Tossing the folder aside, she attempted to squeeze past him. Harry put out his arm and blocked her escape. Padma's shoulders dropped and she looked up at him.

"Look," he said. "It's just a party. No one is going to force you to go. I think you might actually have fun if you let yourself." He put up his hand when she opened her mouth to counter his point. "Ginny's going with some chaser from the Wasps and I'm not going to hide in a corner because of it."

"You two broke up ages ago. Michael _just_ left me."

"Who cares?"

"I care! In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have a queue of blokes waiting to take me out. I always manage to frighten them off somehow and that's exactly what everyone is going to say when they see me, alone, and him there with someone else." Padma threw her hands up, pushing his arm out of the way. "There goes that cold fish, Padma Patil. Can't seem to get anyone to stay for long."

"So what if you were to bring someone? Dashing bloke to impress the masses."

"Oh yeah... because last minute dates have worked _so_ well for me in the past," she said icily.

Harry surprised her by laughing. "You're still holding a grudge over fourth year? Ron was a twat, but he was fourteen... we were all twats at that age."

Padma scowled.

"How about I go with you?" he asked. "Can't be the worst choice, can it?"

She wasn't sure about that statement. But Harry was standing there and the question hadn't been with any sort of malice or snide tone. With him not moving out of the way, Padma was sure that he wasn't going to let her go without an answer. She looked him up and down for a moment. He was about Michael's size. Maybe a little wider in the shoulders, but that could easily be worked around. Crossing her arms across her chest, she raised her chin slightly.

"Fine. But you have to wear the costume I send to you."

Harry held out his hand. "Deal."

* * *

"If you tug my braids one more time, Potter, I'm going to smack you with my basket." Padma said. She lifted the little wicker basket with a plush black dog sitting inside and held it out, giving it a shake.

Harry let go of the braid and reached up to reposition the hat on his head. Bits of straw stuck out from the edges of it, tangled up in his hair. Some of the pieces fell from his costume onto the floor. When Padma had bought the costume, Dorothy and Scarecrow, she'd presented the whole concept as a rather silly idea. For fun. Michael hadn't really been all that interested in it and perhaps she should have taken it as a sign. He'd tried it on once, never looking enthused about it. On Harry, however, the costume was endearing. He'd even gone so far as to perch a small, artificial bird on his shoulder. For "effect".

"So. We can either have something to eat, or we can dance," Harry suggested as he stooped down to gather up a bit of stuffing, tucking it back into the front of his shirt.

"I don't know," Padma said, feeling uncharacteristically cheeky. "Have you improved from fourth year? I saw how you danced with my sister."

Harry looked at her, clutching his chest and giving her an exaggerated affronted look. "I'll have you know I'm just as good as any other terrible dancer out there."

"Are you sure? Because based on how Macmillan over there is flailing about, I suspect you have some stiff competition." Padma gave him a bit of a nudge with her hip and smiled.

Harry plucked the basket and plush dog out of her hand and set it on an empty chair. Then encircling her wrist with his fingers, he tugged her out onto the floor, not giving her a chance to give him a no. Just as they got to the floor, the music switched from upbeat to slow. Harry seemed to take it in stride and put his hand to her back, his other shifting from her wrist to curl around her fingers.

"I do believe, Ms Patil, that you might have been flirting with me just now."

"That's absurd," she said suddenly, lifting her head to look up at him. Her face felt hot with embarrassment and she wondered if he was taking the mickey out of her.

"Is it?" Harry spun her out slowly, the gingham dress flaring slightly as she moved.

As he tugged her back, the many other costumed guests sort of whirled around her. Then she froze. On the other side of the room, stood Michael and Mandy. Him clad in green and her in pink. Marion and Robin Hood. She'd tried to talk Michael into that costume but he'd hemmed and hawed about it until she'd given up. Of course he'd agree to be Robin Hood to Mandy's Marion. She looked perfect in the sweeping dress and long sleeves, the veil covering her dark hair. It wasn't that Padma hated Mandy. She didn't. Mandy was her housemate and a good friend. But in that moment, Padma wanted to...

"You alright?" Harry waved his hand in front of her face and then glanced over to where Michael and Mandy were standing.

Padma couldn't answer him. Maybe she was imagining it, but it was like the room was now entirely focused on her. It wasn't. It couldn't be. She wasn't _that_ important to be whispered about. Except, what if they were? What if everyone was talking about her and she couldn't exactly hear it over the roar in her ears.

It took a moment to realise that she was suddenly outside. She'd only noticed because of the brisk October breeze that whirled around her legs. Harry still held onto her hand and was almost marching her down the cobblestone street, past darkened shops. Padma tugged her hand from his, wrapping her arms around herself, but continued to follow him until they were near to the end of the alley. He tugged off his scarecrow hat and combed his fingers through his messy hair, knocking most of the straw bits onto the ground.

"He's really not worth getting all worked up over," Harry said after a moment, breaking the silence.

That was her tipping point. All the frustration she'd bottled up came bursting forth like a collapsed dam. "Not worth getting worked up over?! I gave him two years. Two years of my life and then one day he just says 'hey it's not working out' and off he goes. And not more than two days later I hear he's going out with Mandy. One of my best friends. Not worth getting worked up over? You know what's the worst thing?" She prodded him in the chest with her finger. "I don't hate her! I don't hate Mandy for being with Michael. I hate that I can't seem to find one guy who will stay with me and it's been this way since I was bloody fourteen. They always turn away and go for the pretty brunettes with the long curly hair and I still can't figure out what I'm doing wrong! I try! I try so ha--"

She would have kept talking. She would have gone on and on until she had no more words left to say. But Harry had grabbed her arm and pulled her close, pressing his mouth against hers. All the air seemed to leave her lungs at once. Padma did the only thing that she could possibly think of which was to clutch at his arms, sagging a little under the kiss until he drew back. Her heart thumped a number of times before she realised that she needed to breathe. A question started to form, but he put his finger to her lip. Padma stared at him with wide eyes. Potter. Harry _Potter_ had just kissed her.

"I had no idea what you were saying..." he said after a moment and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. "You started ranting in a different language."

"Parvati says I do that," Padma managed helplessly, not knowing what else to say and trying desperately to slow down her heart through sheer force of will. "My Punjabi gets aggressive when I'm upset... why... why did you do that?"

"Because I've wanted to for a long time." Before she could respond to this, he smiled a little and continued. "You were with Corner. I didn't want to cause trouble." His nose lightly brushed against hers. "You know the first lesson they give in Auror training is how to file our paperwork... and then they make us file all the senior Aurors so we get it right. I made that one mistake that first time and you tore a strip off me. But I didn't make it again... not by accident. I thought you would cotton on to what I was doing."

Padma stared at him. After all this time she'd just assumed paperwork was not his thing. She hadn't been lying when she'd said that there wasn't a queue of blokes lining up for her. Or at least that's what she'd always believed. Here was one right now. Standing in front of her with his hands resting on her hips and the silly makeup he'd put on to make his face more scarecrow-like smeared all around his mouth. She could only imagine what hers looked like.

Reaching up she ran the edge of her thumb over some black 'stitching' at the side of his mouth.

Then without another thought, she flung her arms around his neck, her lips almost slamming against his. She'd never done this. She'd never just kissed someone without any buildup or dating or dinner or pleasantries. It was entirely different and turned her thoughts completely on end. His lips were warm and the bit of stubble on his chin scraped against hers and lit nearly every nerve ending in her body on fire. And when the tip of his tongue traced along the edge of her lip, she didn't hesitate to let it explore further.

He backed her up slightly, her shoulders pressing against the brick wall of the shop they'd been standing next to. Padma's fingers slid up into the rather wild strands of hair at the nape of his neck and let out a happy sigh as his hands roamed over her sides, to her back and ultimately down over the curve of her bum. He gave a little tug and pulled her closer.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked, pressing his lips against the side of her neck.

She did. She wanted to so much. "My place or yours?"

"How are you with grouchy house elves?"

"Terrible. Let's go to mine. Definitely mine."

Padma felt his lips move against her skin, but into a smile instead of a kiss and his shoulders shook a little as he chuckled. Then grabbing her hand, he led her back to the Leaky Cauldron, squeezing past party goers and ignoring just about everyone in the room. All she could seem to do was focus on the hum of sensation tingling throughout her skin and the warm press of his hand against hers. He let go only briefly and helped her into her jacket, handing her the basket with the plush black dog.

Reaching into the pocket inside her jacket, she took out her wand.

She was going to say something before the apparated. There was a brief hesitation and she was going to ask him if he was sure. She might have even made some kind of silly comment about the state of his hair. But before she could utter a word he'd grabbed her, in front of everyone, and pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her hard. His lips slanted across hers and she could just barely make out the gasp of surprise from the people around her as she closed her eyes and tightened her hand around the wand.

Smiling into the kiss, Padma clicked her heels together before apparating them both away.

* * *

_"You need to relax more, Padma," Parvati said over supper. "Sex is this whole amazing whirlwind of an event. It really shouldn't be as stiff and awful as you're saying it is."_

_Padma frowned. "It's not bad. I didn't say it was awful, just...formulaic. Michael is perfectly competent." She stirred her fork around in the rice on her plate. "I just wish..."_

_"You just wish he would set your toes to curling and make you scream," Parvati pointed out, tearing up a piece of naan and dunking it in sauce. She leaned forward and gave a salacious grin. " **You** , dear sister, want to squirt."_

_"Parvati!" Padma said, scandalised, her cheeks going so hot that she was sure they were purple._

_"It's true," Parvati pointed out, gesturing with the bit of naan. A blob of sauce hit the placemat and she wiped it up with her fingertip. "Michael doesn't make you wild and you're bored. I'm sure if you tried, you could find a way to get him to make a better effort."_

_Padma stabbed at a bit of chicken on her plate. She didn't want to consider that Parvati right or that there was something she wasn't doing right. That maybe Michael would be more passionate in bed if she could just find the right trigger. She wanted to be blown away by sex. Parvati talked often, and without any sort of filter, of her experiences. The stories left Padma feeling as though she was missing out and made her wonder if maybe she just wasn't meant to have that sort of sex with anyone._

* * *

Padma was loath to admit, but her sister had been right. Where Michael had been precise about what to do and when, removing clothes and folding them, it was a catastrophic whirlwind with Harry. His hands were everywhere. Pulling at the ribbons holding her hair in braids and then spinning her around to tug down the zipper of her gingham dress. She arched her back at the press of his mouth between her shoulder blades and her hands reached behind her, scrabbling desperately to try and tug at his shirt. He turned her again and their mouths slid together. Padma tugged again at his shirt and then made a frustrated sound when the kiss had to stop so she could tug it off.

Somehow, leaving a trail of clothing, they managed to get through her flat and into the bedroom. So focused was Padma on Harry's lips and tongue, that she hadn't even noticed just how naked they both were until she fell back onto the bed. His fingers skimmed over her rib cage and down to the curve of her hip, his mouth leaving hers and travelling down over her neck, collarbone and finally her breast. He teased her nipple with his tongue, biting it gently until she couldn't stop the whimper from escaping her throat.

"I've been imagining this for ages," he said, voice gruff pressing a kiss to the spot just below her sternum. "Better than my imagination.."

"Don't talk right now," she groaned, grabbing his hand and moving it from her hip to between her legs, showing him exactly where she wanted to be touched.

Instead of touching her with his fingers, however, Padma was caught off guard by the press of his mouth against her, his tongue moving against her clit. She let out a cry of surprise that quickly changed to a low, guttural sound. Squirming beneath him, her hips lifting off the bed. Harry's hand lightly rested against her stomach and gave a light press to keep her still. Flinging out one hand, Padma clutched at the bedspread, the other slid up to cup her own breast, lightly squeezing it. His mouth was hot against her flesh and every flick of his tongue drove her higher and higher.

"Please..." she whimpered. "I can't... I want..."

Harry lifted his head and looked up at her, a sly sort of look appearing on his face. "I thought we weren't talking."

Padma drew in quick breaths and then looked down at him. "We aren't." She reached for him, wishing she hadn't removed his shirt so she could grab onto something.

Taking his cue, Harry slid up further onto the bed, kissing his way back up her torso until he was nuzzling against her neck. Padma ran her hands over his shoulders and then looked at him with wide eyes. For a few heartbeats they just looked at each other. No words; they weren't talking. Her fingers touched his cheek, smearing some of the remaining make-up stitching as she searched his eyes for something, she wasn't sure what. She'd always known that Harry Potter had green eyes, but she wondered why she'd never noticed that one of them had just a few gold flecks in them.

Leaning up, she met his lips in a gentle kiss as he settled between her thighs and as he slowly pushed into her, a strangled sort of noise caught in her throat.

Padma tightened her arms around Harry and lifted her legs, hooking one over his hip and the other partially around his thigh. She pressed one of her heels against the crook of his knee and rolled her hips up against him. It started slow. A gentle push and pull between them and she closed her eyes, revelling in the sensation. Shifting slightly she felt her lips brush against his ear and she couldn't stop herself from giving it a soft bite.

"Harder," she whispered, slowly digging her fingernails into one of his shoulders.

The groan that he let out was amazing and set her pulse on fire. Padma tilted her head back and held tightly to him as his hips started to rock harder against her. The friction was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. All she wanted was for this to go on forever. Vaguely she understood that it wouldn't last; he was only human after all and she did have a general understanding of male biology, but that didn't stop her from the wish. It didn't stop her from begging as he bore her down into the mattress. Faster. Harder. Please. Don't stop.

His hand slid down to her thigh, warm fingertips leaving a trail of fire over her skin and she felt him curl his fingers under her knee, pulling it higher and suddenly he was hitting against a new spot. Sparks of white-hot light seemed to burst at the corners of her eyes and it took her a moment to realise the primal sound she could hear was tearing from her own throat. She wrapped her arms around him and started to shake, her body shuddering all around him.

Suddenly Harry reared back and his hips pressed hard against her with a groan.

He sagged after a moment of tension, his body settling over hers. The pleasant weight of him made her smile and she couldn't help but rub her heel up and down along the back of his thigh, her body still quivering in little aftershocks. Harry pressed a kiss to her neck and finally slid to the side, much to Padma's dismay. She turned over and curled up along his side. She smiled as he trailed his fingertips up and down her bare back.

"Form 19-8-A-401... how many copies and where are they sent?" she asked suddenly, pressing a kiss to his chest.

Harry smiled at her. "Ravenclaw pillow talk?"

"Just answer the question, Auror Potter," she said, sitting up and climbing onto his lap. In the past she would have quickly gotten up and cleaned herself up. But she felt different. And felt both erotic and a little bit filthy for not vanishing away the come.

Harry reached up and combed his fingers through her hair, trailing them down over her breast. He extended his index finger and drew a circle around one nipple. "Three. One goes to records." His hand drifted over to the other breast and he drew a circle around that nipple. "One goes to the Wizengamot." His hand dropped down to slowly trace over her navel. "One to the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And depending on the seriousness of the seizure, a 19-8-A-402 goes to the Minister of Magic."

Padma hit him with a pillow. "Don't you ever pretend you don't know your paperwork just to get into my knickers, Harry Potter. I won't stand for it."

Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her down against him, her breasts pressed against his hard chest, his hand slid down to grip the curve of her bum. "Are there other ways to get into your knickers then?"

"Oh absolutely," Padma said, kissing him. "Shall I put them back on so you can find out what they are?"

Harry laughed and rolled her over, kissing her soundly. "No, I think that's alright," he said, looking at her. "But we might need to wash up."

"Oh?"

"You've got Scarecrow smears on your face and neck." He traced a finger along her throat. "I can only imagine what your thighs look like."

Padma flushed and squirmed beneath him. "Let me up then. I'll draw a bath."

He rolled off her and she climbed out of bed. Looking back over her shoulder, she raised her eyebrows. She didn't ask the question; he didn't respond. He just followed her to the bath. Parvati had said that she needed someone to set her toes to curling.

Harry Potter was very much up to that task.


End file.
